Garment Blocks

19 May

Posted at 13:05h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Womens Skirt Block by
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With some very clever spatial reasoning our fans we able to solve all the detail in Saturdays #PatternPuzzle.  They were cutting up bits of paper and making impossibly small skirts into the wee hours to reveal all the answers.  They make our Saturdays so much fun.  :)  This weeks #PatternPuzzle was inspired by one of those pins without a link to the source but I'm pretty sure it's a Donna Karan.  I did leave off a bit of the frippery (small drape near the waist) as I prefer a cleaner style and there is already so much going on in this skirt.  Pinstripe fabric is the driving force in this design, with the directional use making so much of the intricate panels.  The Colour Map below will help make sense of all the pattern pieces and where they belong in the skirt.

12 May

Posted at 13:37h in Fitted Dress Block, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles by
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Oh, good grief! was the first response to our Saturday morning #PatternPuzzle.  However, by mid-afternoon all was solved and the sketch delivered.  The Cowl Drape Dress features a wide, built-up neckline that leads to a folded cowl.  The front dress panels are led out of the cap sleeve armhole and head toward the low waist area on the left side of the dress.  Deep tucks are set into the skirt panel and meet the side body panel in a waterfall drape.  The Back panels are also led out of the cap sleeve armhole and end just above the seat.  There is a CB invisible zip from the neckline to the hip line.

28 Apr

Posted at 14:03h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Womens Knit Block by
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Every week new fans turn up to comment and solve my #PatternPuzzle and this week was no exception. Steph Go was in early with a comprehensive answer revealing the main parts of the pattern piece. Then Julie and Lynn turned up a little later to finish off the puzzle. This elegant evening dress is a little daring, showing lots of leg and decolletage. It will always look good in soft drapey fabrics such as silk crepe, lightweight stable knits, silk, and polyester chiffon.  With a little experimentation, I think it could be cut in either knit or woven fabrics. The style relies very heavily on the fit on the high hip where the twist is formed. This feature holds the entire dress in place. If you'd like to learn my method for creating Twist Drape Patterns I have a detailed worksheet for making Jersey Twist Patterns. For just a few dollars you'll get the same training you'd get if you came to the workshop in my studio.

14 Apr

Posted at 14:42h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns, Womens Knit Block by
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Once again the much favoured Jersey Twist is featured on the Saturday morning #PatternPuzzle.  A big thank you to all our fans that come along to play and watch.  :)
This week there is an addition to our #PatternPuzzle post with the inclusion of imperial measurements for our US fans.  Huge thanks to Lisa at Poldapop Designs for pointing out how much easier this would make the teaching of our worksheets in the states.  Lisa is one of the first teachers to take on our Basic Skirt Draft Worksheet as a teaching tool in her classes.  The results have been positive so we will work hard to provide imperial equivalents in all our pattern making instructions.  :)

07 Apr

Posted at 14:48h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns, Womens Knit Block by
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This weeks #PatternPuzzle was a tough one!  When you look at the weird pattern shape we posted on Saturday, you are looking at the most complex pattern piece in the style.  In this weeks puzzle, in addition to the side seam drape, it's all about understanding the construction of the front wrap and how that relates to the CF seam.  It is a mock wrap in that it is secured at the side seams to create a more reliable shape.

31 Mar

Posted at 15:00h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns, Womens Knit Block by
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A big thank you to everyone who came by our Facebook Page on Saturday to play the #PatternPuzzle. You were all able to identify most parts of the pattern but found the shape at the neckline confusing.  Once you turn the pattern up the right way you'll see the large open shape is in fact, two pieces of drape that overlap.
This currently popular style is featured in many fashion collections.  The drape from the left side of the top tucks under the right shoulder drape and is attached into the right armhole seam.
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